“If you plan to buy a new computer, do yourself a favor and at least consider buying a Macintosh,” Allan Hoffman reports for The Newark Star Ledger. “Though switching isn’t for everyone, it’s a lot easier now for a number of reasons:”
• Even diehard Windows users may be familiar with Apple products from using iPods, iPhones and the iTunes music software.
• The popularity of Web-based software, for everything from e-mail to photo sharing, means most computer users have ventured far beyond the confines of Windows. The jump to the Macintosh isn’t as much of a stretch.
• You probably know someone who uses a Macintosh. That’s important, as you want to be able to turn to others–friends, colleagues, or family members–when you hit a snag.
• For $99 a year, Apple now offers one-on-one training at its retail stores.
MacDailyNews Note: Don’t forget: Macs can also run Windows (natively via Apple’s Boot Camp and via inexpensive, fast virtualization from Parallels and VMWare), so you can continue to use your existing Windows software and replace it with Mac OS X versions over time.
Hoffman writes, “And why would you want to switch? I could go on and on, but let’s just say the Macintosh is easy to use, reliable, and delivers on its promise of stunningly simple and useful software. It’s also lots of fun, especially when it comes to working with movies, photos, and music.”
Hoffman writes, “To decide whether the switch is for you, just go to an Apple Retail Store, where you will be find free-to-use Macintosh computers, from slick notebooks to iMacs with humongous screens. Hang out at the store for as long as you want and try them out. Check your Web-based e-mail, assemble a movie, whatever — soon you’ll have an idea of whether a Macintosh is for you.”
Full article here.
consider one? like i would ever buy anything else ever again…..
Now is always the time to switch to Mac, but NOW really is the time to buy some shares!!
This is a nice change from the days when all “civilian” Mac reviews ended with a sentence something like “So if you need a Macintosh computer, and don’t need any software, then this computer that says Macintosh on the front is a good Macintosh to get.”
Click on the link to the article to experience that “distinctive” Newark, New Jersey smell!
“For $99 a year, Apple now offers one-on-one training at its retail stores.”
And, the Apple Stores have many free tutorials.
Nice article.
FTA:
” . . . the decision may seem as momentous as switching political parties or deciding to root for the Yankees rather than the Mets.”
Really?
Zune Tang will NOT be pleased.
Bought my first Mac in 1984 (Got a free woman with a sledgehammer to go with it), and have never bought another company’s computer since. Just got a new Macbook and Mac Pro too.
No one every mentions that you can also get your software cross graded. In other words buy Mac software at an upgrade price from most developers.
That’s the main difference for Apple between now and ten years ago when Steve Jobs first returned to Apple. Back then, typical Windows users would not even “consider” getting a Mac. The mass media would not advise readers to consider getting a Mac. Now, most Windows users buying a new system at least consider getting a Mac. Even if only one in ten end up getting a Mac, that’s 10 percent. Add that to the growing number of existing happy Mac users buying another Mac and you easily have 12% to 15% market share by 2009.
Mark: “(Got a free woman with a sledgehammer to go with it)”
She was probably thankful you let her go.
This is horrible advice.
No mention of the exorbitant cost, lack of games, dismal software selection and nonexistent support for two button mice on MACs. MACs just look pretty for smug people who use them as a fashion accessory at Starbucks. Whatever. Apple is only good at marketing.
What good is $99 support when Apple will be out of business? I am perfectly happy with my Dell, and I saved money too. And that’s all that matters. It can play games and it has a wide variety of scalable fonts which came with the system. Besides, Vista is just like a MAC so what’s the point? Suck it, MAC losers.
Your potential. Our passion.™
@ Tune Zang,
Yeh yeh, I know, I’m a scouser and I understand sarcasm better than most, but I have to say that this particular quote is pathetic:
“…nonexistent support for two button mice on MACs.”
Dude, if you are a Mac user yanking our chains, it doesn’t work because we know the truth. If you are actually a scum sucking PC user, you should know that solved the ‘2 button mouse’ problem years ago by using the beginnings of Multi touch technology, or to put it simply, tap two fingers on the track pad to bring up a contextual menu.
Please people, don’t slate me. I know he might be taking the piss, but sometimes I just feel like I have to respond, if only to satisfy my own anger.
” . . . if only to satisfy my own anger.”
Feel better?
Also, Apple has the best online help and documentation of any vendor I’ve every used. I advised a new switcher friend to read the help files and now she teaches me things I did not know (including on MACs if you get my drift
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Geeze MDN. I just bought a MacBook Pro and you want me to buy another one. Sheeesh I’m not made of money.
@ Ampar,
yes I do thanks! It’s either the ‘talk’ I had with Tune Zang, or the fact England have just won 2-1 with my hero Steve Gerrard getting man of the match… I just don’t know!
Thanks for asking!
“Check your Web-based e-mail…”
Just make sure you LOG OFF your Web-based e-mail when done. I was at the Apple store the other day with my roommate and he went to gmail only to wind up in someone else’s mailbox.
We were then thinking of all the diabolical things we could have done to that person (Send some interesting “notes to self”, send embarrassing note to everyone in address book, etc.)
Dang, the Tanger is right. I wish my Mighty Mouse had two buttons, but the darn thing has four! But wait, I can use the mouse settings to turn them off so that I can emulate a PC. Now I feel better…
My business has been running Mac OSx since April of 2001 and running Macs exclusively since the end of 2002.
Six Mac computers since 2002.
Not one bit of data lost. Not one virus. Not one moment of computer downtime – with the exception of a bad pixel on a screen and Apple took 2 days to replace the computer (a first generation G5 imac).
Windows users are like abused wives with husbands who alternate between beatings and sweet talk … they don’t realize that there is another world where marriage is good all the time.
Since Apple stock lost another $7(!!!!) today I will not be buying any Apple products in the near future…..I can´t afford it or much of anything else.
Recession here we come!
@Jamie – spend a while around here and you’ll get to know the Tanger is a sarcastic Macophile with a comedy club approach. Come back in two months and the joke is the same (but sometimes still funny).
He/she is kinda like the MDN forum’s version of Cliffy from Cheers, but with sarcasm. I can’t think of the right analog, but you get the idea.
It’s a little known fact that Microsoft invented the user interface in…
Actually, if you read carefully, the last paragraph is probably the most valuable. The author recommends user go to an Apple store and play with one. This is, from the perspective of Apple, the best way to lure a new customer. Get them to an Apple store. If they were wondering about switching before, they’ll be sold once they feel the Apple experience.
Stores are probably most effective switching catalyst out there.
Paul H,
Just because the stock is down does not mean Apple products suddenly lose quality. It’s still the same Mac. Personaly I plan to dump 20000 into Apple, that should help them a bit (as in a drop in the ocean). Apple will be back. Buy now while theyre cheap.
Trevor N – I think Paul H. was referring to the fact that he has lost monetary value in the stocks he owns – at least on paper – like most of us. We don’t have as much “monetary value” as we did 2 months ago. Since we have less “money” we can not afford to buy as much. I do not believe Paul H. was referring to the quality of Apple’s products.
Peace.